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IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT PRESSES.

DANIEL T.- ROBINSON, 0F `BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS. Letters Patent No. 60,060, dated November 27, I1866.

i SPECIFICATION.

TO AIIL T0 WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME: r

Be it known that I, DANIEL T. ROBINSGN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,` have invented a new and useful Implement or Machine for Expressing the Juice from Fruits of various kinds, as well as for various other purposes, and which I have called in the trade the Universal Press and Strainer; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying; drawings, making part of this specification, and in whichl' i Figure 1 is a front view.

Figure 2, a vertical and longitudinal section.

`Figure 3, an end view.

Figure 4, a. vertical and transverse section; and

Figure 5, a top y-i'ew of the machine.

Figures 6 and 7 will be duly referred to. y

The object of my present invention is to produce an implement whichwill answer the above-mentioned pur? y, posespeasily and expeditiously, and one in which the material to be pressed may be allowedto stand in a compressed state for any length of time withouttheaid of continued manual power.

In the drawings above mentioned, A denotes a rectangular frame, having made in each of its opposite sidesor standards, b b, a, hole, a, for thereoeption of the ends ofa sheet, 4Gr, of crash or other cloth, and which is to contain wit-hin its folds the material or article to be Vcompressed; Applied to the outside face of each of the standards, b b, is a clamp, D,.composed of two levers, c c, united at one extremity by `a leather strap, a2; the adjustable fulcrum of these levers being a metallic plate, b2, secured to their inner surfaces, and passing through the hole a, on its opposite sides, and being then bent at a right angle against the inner face of the standard, b, as shown in fig. 270i the drawings.l i Thisiconnection of the clamp, D, with the frame,'A, allows of its levers or jaws being brought together orl distended, as occasion may require, aV spiral spring, al, being placed betweenlthe shorter arms of the levers for the purpose of forcing'thcm apart. The handles or longer arms, c, of thelevers, cc, project somewhat beyond the edges of the frame, A, in order to furnish 'a ready means of rotating the f -clamps on their ,adjustable fulcra. A spring-catch or dog, d, is so applied to each end of the frame, A, as .to extend into the path of movement of the clamps, D D, in order to retain them "in position after the material may have been suiciently compressed. Furthermore, two adjustable springarms7 e e, are secured to theiuner end of the standards, b b, as shown in iig. 4 of the drawings, in such manner as to allow of their being turned or r sprung out into the-horizontal position,-asshownri:1 iig. 5 ot' the drawings, in which position they serve to s`upport the cloth or bag preparatory to and while it is being supplied with the material from which the4 juice is to he expressed. 4 t i,

In operating with the above-described apparatus, the ends ofthe sheet or piece of cloth are to bc passed through the holes, a a, and between the jaws of the clamps, D D, the handles of which are then tobe brought together and enclosethe cloth tightly between them, the said handles being coniined together by means of a link or strap passed over and encompassing them. Next, the spring-arms, e e, are to be sprung out into an extended horiziontal position, and the sides of the cloth, G, hooked or caught upon their extremities, as shown in fig. 5 of the drawings, thus forming a trough or bag into which the fruit or other material is to be placed. The arms, e`e, are then to be detached from the cloth, G, and sprung back into place in connection with a stud applied to the A upper part of the frame. The edges of the cloth are then to vbe brought together, lor lapped one over the other,

r t and the clamps subsequently rotated in opposite directions, which will twist the cloth, G, with a powerful pressurxe and express the juice or liquid from whatever maybe contained in it. The spring-dogs will retain the clamps and the cloth in this position for any length of time, or until the liquid may have been thoroughly if expressed from the contents of the cloth. After this has been accomplished the dogs or catches, dfd, may be retracted and the movement of the clamps reversed, which will untwist the `cloth and allow its contents to be removed and a freshsupply substituted. Or, by removing the rings from the handles oi' the clamp, their jawsan be forced apart by the action of the spring situated between them and admit of the cloth being removed entirely from the machine.

I would remark that a modification of the clamps which I have contemplated, or which I consider would be a mechanical equivalent for them, is the employment in pllace of them of a stick or bar to extend into a. hem y made in the ends of the cloth, as shown in tig. 7 of the drawings. In place of thel spiral spring between the levers, I have contemplated connecting them hy a steel strap, in the same manner as, and in place of, the leather strap shownin the accompanying model, `this steel strap answering the purpose both of a hinge to connect them together and a. spring to force them asunder.

'One advantage of my invention is, that I am enabled to use a piece of cloth of any moderate size or shape without any previous lpreparation, such as being hemmed or made into abag. Another advantage is, that by means of the spring-dogs .or their equivalents, applied to `the frame A, and operatingin eonnectionwth the clamps D D, the cloth and its contents may be allowed to remain in a twisted or compressed state, without the presence of an attendant. It is this latter advantage which constitutes one of the most valuable features ofthe invention. ,v I

I claim the improved implement or machine eonstrueted and 'operating substantially as above described,

consisting of the frame A, spring-arms e e, dogs d d, and clamps D D, or their equivalents.

y DANIEL T. ROBINSON.

llllitnesses:l

FRED. CURTIS, C. W. BALDWIN. 

